Despite missing 15 games, Lionel Messi, the forward for Inter Miami, is grinning after leading MLS with 20 goals and 16 assists. The winner of Tuesday’s wild card match between Atlanta United and CF Montreal will face Miami on Friday to begin the playoffs. As Argentine legend Lionel Messi and top-seeded Inter Miami begin the MLS playoffs at home on Friday night, get ready to see, hear, and even smell Messi Mania. Prepare yourself if you believe Messi has been featured in several advertisements and news stories this season. With the release of a Messi perfume, a signature sneaker featuring the Messi/Bad Bunny collaboration, a TikTok Messi Cam and at least one more product anticipated to be available in the coming days, Messi’s marketing campaign has just gone into overdrive. With an 11-minute hat trick against New England on Saturday, the 37-year-old kept up his impressive play and increased his season total to 20 goals and 15 assists in 19 games, most certainly earning the league MVP award. The high-definition “Mega-Zilla,” a 78-foot by 330-foot screen that covers an entire city block on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets, will broadcast live their playoff opener on Friday against the winner of the Atlanta United/CF Montreal wild card game in Times Square in the centre of New York City. He and his pink-clad teammates have become such must-see TV.
You can watch the game on Apple TV at 8:30 p.m. That evening, TikTok will also broadcast a special live Player Spotlight with Messi. Throughout the game, a camera will be trained on Messi, and the @MLS TikTok profile will have a GOAT-centric feed, while the @InterMiamiCF TikTok profile will simulcast. Messi has everything fans could possibly want in terms of scent. Messi Eau de Parfum, the Inter Miami captain’s debut fragrance, was marketed by Sheralven, a firm in the beauty industry, a few weeks ago. “Scent features top notes of cardamom and wild cypress, contrasted by warm notes of leather and cedarwood with hints of vanilla,” according to the launch’s promotional materials. These comforting components are intended to generate feelings of strength and confidence similar to Messi’s own. Exclusive to JCPenney shops and jcpenney.com, the 3.4-ounce navy blue glass bottle with the Messi emblem costs $72 and is packaged using eco-friendly materials. For $88 there will be a unique Christmas gift set that comes with an 8.5-oz body wash and a toiletry bag with the Messi emblem. “I’ve always had a strong interest in fragrance, and I can’t wait to create my own signature scent,” Messi stated in the press release. “This fragrance, in a customised bottle, is genuinely one-of-a-kind and inspirational for all fans worldwide.” Just in time for his supporters to smell like him during the MLS playoffs, Lionel Messi’s perfume was released in October. This week, Adidas Originals said that Messi and Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, would be working together. In addition to honouring the respective legacies of Bad Bunny and Messi, the Bad Bunny & Messi Collection “celebrates the incredible connection between music and sport, two passions that unite fans across the world, while cementing adidas’ role in culture,” according to the press release.
Messi has long been a favourite of Bad Bunny, who has made five references to the football star in his most recent album. Messi, on the other hand, disclosed that the Puerto Rican musician’s seven tracks are on his personal pregame playlist.
According to Bad Bunny, “Messi’s last name has become a word unto itself, a synonym for greatness, courage, and heart.” It’s an honour to watch him play with the fervour he does. I liken his passion for his nation and sport to my own passion for Puerto Rico and music. Working with him is a privilege that many people aspire to, and I never thought I would be able to fulfil it. I am really honoured to be able to represent our culture with the greatest of all time today.
“This campaign celebrates our fans,” Messi continued. In addition to inspiring me, seeing those who follow and encourage me makes me feel incredibly appreciative. Many facets of my life are influenced by music, and Bad Bunny is one artist that I always have on repeat in my playlist. With 22 victories, four defeats, and eight draws, Inter Miami broke the MLS points record on Saturday, earning 74 points. Messi and the squad are also significantly affecting the league’s finances in the process.
With the most sales in the first day, week, and month of any newly released jersey in MLSstore.com history, Inter Miami’s retro-inspired third aqua-and-orange uniform (part of the adidas x MLS Archive Collection) became the fastest-selling uniform in the website’s history.
Messi is number one on the league’s list of best-selling MLS jerseys, and he also remains number one in the world for adidas in terms of player jersey sales. Additionally, Inter Miami is now the third most followed sports team in North America on Instagram (17.2 million followers) and the most followed on TikTok (9.4 million followers). Messi is a strong contender to win MLS MVP even though he only appeared in 19 of Miami’s 34 games because of injuries and national team duties. Despite playing in just 56% of the games, he leads the league with 36 goal contributions (20 goals, 16 assists).
Cucho Hernandez of the Columbus Crew has scored 19 goals and provided 14 assists in 33 games. In 31 games, Denis Bounga of the Los Angeles Galaxy has scored 20 goals and provided 11 assists. In 30 games, Christian Benteke of D.C. United, the Golden Boot winner, had 23 goals and seven assists. “If I could vote for him, I would, because for me, the MVP stands for the best player in the league, and Leo is that, by far,” said Miami midfielder Julian Gressel in support of Messi.
